Guinea fowl...first half-day out...won't go back in coop--what to do?

[jobear]

We've had our guineas in a coop locked up for 6+ weeks. (They were about 6 weeks old when we moved them to the coop). Today, we let all 5 out at about 3:00pm. They stayed very close to the coop, maybe within 20 yards...but at dark, they were not back in the coop. I put some food out on the landing, no luck. Last I saw, they were out in the garden in the grass, huddled together. It's dark now..and will get down to about 40 degrees...
Should I have tried to grab them and put them in the coop...or as my husband argued..'they are animals, leave them alone, they will figure it out.". It was quite a heated debate as you can imagine!
In the morning..should I put them back in and lock them in for longer time? (hoping they are still around) or just let them figure it out...or just let a few out for half a day...? Thanks for any insight. shucks....

 

[justbugged]

I would go out and pick them up and put in the coop. It take a day or two of doing that before they will figure out how to do it by themselves. You have to teach to go back in the coop.

 

[cracking up]

They're a lot easier to 'herd' than to catch. If you can figure a way to chase them into the coop that would be easiest. My husband left some out when they wouldn't go in and the two white ones were a pile of feathers in the morning. The pearls were dark enough to get away.

 

[EggHunter_66]

Next time dont let them all out at one time, keep like two in the coop. Then only let the others out for like 30 mins then like "cracking up" posted Herd them in and while you are doing that say "IN, IN". Do this a couple of days in a row and they will learn the word in and they will realize they need to go back into the coop. That is how my husband trains all of our birds. They all know the word "IN". I should try to find the link to the video I posted on Youtube............
Got it:

 

[featherz]

My guineas and chickens were spot on 100% perfect the first week and a half free ranging. Every night at 7PM they'd all run into the coop and start roosting. My luck didn't last - about half of them started roosting on the tree branch above the coop. The whites, naturally! We left them up one night, but the next night we went out there at 630 and lured them into the coop with millet and locked em up. Did the same thing tonight. 'herding' and food works!

Now tomorrow, when I am back at work, I may have to trust they go in - I also added a light in the coop. If they insist on going to the trees, I may end up letting them eventually, but for now I am trying to get them in early to get them used to it yet again.

They are 10ish weeks old and are housed with chickens they 'grew up' with.